Balanced on the Edge of a Blade
by Lonetear
Summary: Taken prisoner by Zuko for causing the Avatar's escape, a mysterious girl wonders how she will escape his wrath. At first they hate each other, but when feeling begin to arise between them what will happen? ZukoxOC.
1. Chapter 1

Ice blue eyes peered over the rooftop, her body flattened against one side, hidden from sight as she looked down on the scene below her. Flames burned throughout the villages, houses caught on fire, people running in terror to safety. Even the house she hid on was on fire down below, but it had yet to reach the rooftop, giving her a safe place to carefully watch the havoc below, waiting for the perfect time to move into action.

A boy younger then herself, perhaps twelve or thirteen stood, a staff in his hands. A blue arrow marked his baldhead, traveling down his neck until it vanished from sight beneath the collar of his top. The same blue arrows were tattooed on his hands and she wondered how extensive these markings were. She knew him on sight as being the Avatar, though she didn't know his name. Just behind him and on either side were a boy and a girl, the boy around her age with the girl looking just a little younger. Both wore clothing of the Watertribes, they're tanned skin and blue eyes clearly showing where they were from.

Across from them stood Firenation soldiers, at their lead was a teenager about her age, an angry red scar marring his pale skin. Instantly she knew who he was, Prince Zuko, the banished prince who received his scar by being burned by his own father in an Agni Kai. She had long know his goal was to capture the Avatar to regain his honor and return home. It was her goal to stop him.

Fire sprung to his hands and was instantly thrown toward the Avatar who blocked it with quick spins of his staff, his airbending sufficiently handling the flames. The prince attacked again, running in and throwing a fiery kick at the young boy who was his target. Again the Avatar only blocked it, not really attacking back at all. She shook her head in disappointment. He would have to learn to attack instead of avoiding everything if he was to defeat the firelord.

Again and again fire was thrown and blocked or avoided. The prince was growing impatient and the Avatar weary. His two companions were occupied with the soldiers, both holding their own yet having to fight back soldier after soldier. With a sigh she decided it was time to intervene before the situation took a turn for the worse. Swiftly she rose from her position on the roof, her long raven black hair falling around, the ends swirling angrily in the wind. Pale hands moved to the two ninjato, twin short swords, strapped to her back. Silently she drew the blades, holding them with the blade itself facing down and out toward her arm instead of traditionally straight out. Crossed slightly in front of her the sharp blades glinted wickedly in the sunlight as she launched herself off the roof.

She landed silently in a crouch, rolling forward as soon as her feet hit the ground to take the shock from the drop. Quickly but silently she ran forward, her feet making no sound on the dirt-covered ground. Positioning herself directly behind on soldier she struck a blow to the back of his knee with her foot, causing him to fall to his knees before she struck him in the back of the neck, hitting a pressure point and efficiently incapacitating him. She moved on to each soldier, taking them out one by one before she was noticed. Before either of the Watertribe siblings could say a word she was gone, heading quickly toward the Avatar's fight with the prince.

Her eyes narrowed as they fell on the fight. Due to his not wanting to strike back the Avatar had been maneuvered into a corner, his clothing singed and his staff knocked to the ground out of his reach. Taking a deep breath she slid between the two, both looking surprise by her sudden appearance. Leaping forward, she knocked into the prince, her knee connecting with his sternum and knocking the wind out of him. She leaned into him, throwing all her weight forward to knock him off balance and to the ground, allowing gravity to take her as well. Landing with her knees on either side of his torso, she flicked her blades up to his throat, pressing the cold steel against his skin. Turning her eyes to the Avatar and his companions she spoke quickly. "Go." They remained standing, staring at the scene before them. "Now." Anger crept into her voice that time and they responded instantly, turning and running toward where she assumed their flying bison was hidden. She nodded once as they turned back to look at her before disappearing into the wood surrounding the village.

Her eyes fell back to the prince trapped beneath her, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. It vanished instantly upon the return of her gaze, being replaced by a blazing fury. A slight smirk appeared on her face, a taunting reminder to his position. "Who are you?" His voice was quiet, though harsh as he tried to keep from yelling. She remained silent, ignoring his question. For the first time that day she was unsure of what to do next. It had seemed so clear earlier, stop Zuko from capturing the Avatar. But now that that was accomplished she didn't know what to do.

Seeing her momentary lapse in concentration he flipped her over, his greater weight pressing her into the ground. His hands moved quickly to her wrists, squeezing hard to make her release her blades. She kept her expression blank, refusing to let go, her stubborn nature shining through despite the pain. His hands grew hot, burning the sensitive skin of her wrists though not enough to do real damage, only cause pain. Finally he growled in impatience, slamming her hands against the ground, the sudden force making her lose grip on the swords. "Why did you let him go? Why did you get in my way?" His voice was steadily growing louder as he tried to contain his anger.

She kept her eyes locked on his, never speaking or showing any emotion. She could feel him growing uncomfortable under her blank but fierce gaze, the way his eyes kept moving from her face, how he would move just a bit for no real reason. It made her want to laugh at how easy it was to torment him. Zuko tried not to let her unflinching gaze get to him. After a moment his eyes returned to her face, taking in her appearance for the first time.

Her eyes were the first thing he notice, ice blue in color but very light, almost silvery. Her dark black pupil stood out against the pale color, making her gaze hypnotizing, making whoever was looking into them want to stare at their depths forever. Her skin was very pale, paler then his, almost a ghostly white. It was perfectly clear, not blemishes marring her complexion. Raven black hair sharply contrasted with the pale color. It fell in choppy layers around her, by the look of it, it probably fell at least to her waist. Feathery bangs angled across her face, covering one of her eyes and partially obscuring the other, though their color could clearly be seen still. Her features were soft, almost breakable looking, like she was a porcelain doll. Her eyes weren't quite round, yet not almond shaped either. Thick black lashes surrounded them, framing them and making them that much more noticeable. A small nose laid perfectly on her face, somewhat narrow though still soft and not upturned like many girls of the court as he was used to. Her lips were full, the color a soft pink, dark enough but not too dark. The only blemishes were the dark circles beneath her eyes, shadows showing her lack of sleep.

From what he could feel beneath him she was slender though lightly muscled and toned. She seemed like she was slightly curvy, just enough to have a bit of an hourglass shape yet still slim and lithe. He didn't dare look down to confirm this though, the fierce look she was giving him keep his eyes from wandering. Finally the sound of footsteps on the hard dirt drew her eyes and his away from each other. Two soldiers stood above them with a rather large, round older man, both his hair and long beard gray with age. She took him to be the infamous General Iroh, the Dragon of the West, the man who almost took down the greatest city of the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se. His eyes were kind compared to the hard stares she was receiving from the other men around her.

Moving quickly to his feet, Zuko yanked her up before pushing her at the two soldiers, one of which grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back in a sharp movement. She felt a moment of discomfort before growing used to it, grateful for her flexibility. Many others would be feeling sharp pain at the moment, unable to move at all. Despite being able to move she remained still. She doubted she would be able to reach her swords before someone caught her again. It would be wiser just to be still and survive.

"Prince Zuko, what has happened here?" His uncle questioned him softly knowing his temper would be short at the moment. His gaze flicked from his nephew to the strange girl they had captured.

"This girl got in the way and let the Avatar escape." His eyes narrowed dangerously as they fell on her. She met them evenly, not frightened as he had hoped she would be. Iroh's eyes gazed around at the damage surrounding them. Many soldiers lay scattered on the ground, knocked unconscious and looking as though it would be awhile until they would awake. Zuko himself seemed a bit damaged, his armor covered in dirt with a decent sized dent in it centered at his sternum. Two knicks could be seen at his neck, a small amount of blood in a line at both of them.

His eyes returned to the girl. Not a single scratch was on her and her expression was void of emotion. He wondered how just a single small girl could cause this much damage but he knew from experience not to judge something just by how it looked. Though she looked soft and fragile, it was apparent from the damage she had caused that she could be quite formidable. "What are you going to do with her Zuko?"

His nephew's gaze flicked to him for a moment before falling back on the girl. "She's our prisoner. Take her back to the ship." His last words were meant as a dismissal to his men, and they turned, one pushing her along in front of him and the other pausing to grab her weapons before following. With a sigh the prince turned to his uncle, his eyes settling on the damage around them. "We have to find out about her, what her motives were, where she comes from, who she is. It doesn't matter how, just so long as we get the information we need. Tell the remaining soldiers on the ship to collect their comrades, then we leave.

Okay, so here's the first chapter. I know it never says what her name is, you'll find out later. I hope you liked it. R&R, message me. Feedback on it would be very appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Thrown roughly into an empty room, pain shot through her knees as she landed. Ignoring it she pivoted on them, turning just in time to see the metal door swing closed, the squeal of the lock ringing throughout the room. Pushing up from the ground she examined her surroundings, eyes sweeping the area around her. There was nothing really, it truly was just an empty room. Metal floors, walls, and ceiling, all cold and uninviting greeted her. A single red tapestry hung from the right wall, the symbol of the fire nations dark against the vibrant background. Other then that the room was empty, void of any other furnishings or decorations. But it was better then a cell, at least it was clean and the air fresh. No chains to bind her with or bars to block her way. Just a metal door kept her in, a metal door that locked from the outside; her luck couldn't have been any better.

With a quiet sigh she walked to the corner farthest from the door, leaning against the wall, the cold of the metal reaching her skin through the fabric of her top. Crossing her arms in front of her she waited for something to happen, as she knew there would indeed be something happening soon. Eyes fell to the floor, staring at the texture of the metal, the pattern of it somewhat intriguing to her, raised lines that almost crossed but not quite. At least it was a distraction from the boredom she knew she would feel soon enough.

An hour passed, her eyes never once moving from the floor, her mind never straying from thoughts of how to escape. She decided, for now she would wait, biding her time for the perfect opportunity. The movement of the door swinging open caught her attention, her eyes yanking up from where they were focused on the floor to meet the figures walking toward her. She already knew who it would be before they entered and she confirmed her guess Prince Zuko and his uncle entered. Her chin lifted slightly, her body posture still relaxed but at the same time challenging to them both. She could already she the anger in the prince's eyes as he saw her defiance, he expected her to treat him like the rest of his subordinates did, with respect.

Standing a few feet from her his golden gaze locked on her, his eyes narrowed slightly. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his back straight and his shoulders rigid. Everything about his stance was tense as he began questioning her.

"What's your name?" He waited for a moment, only to be met with silence. He gritted his teeth before speaking again. "Where are you from?" Again only silence. From her appearance he couldn't tell what nation she was from. Her clothes were all black, the style different from anything he had seen before. Though her complexion and hair reminded him of the Fire Nation her striking eyes definitely didn't belong. Frustration growing at her lack of a response he moved closer, hands on either side of her head, his face close to hers, pinning her against the wall. She could feel the heat of his body, typical of Firebenders, rolling off him in waves. She kept her face blank though in all reality she felt much discomfort at the closeness of their bodies. Flashes of her past flickered in her head and she pushed them away, disgust rising in her due to her own weakness. She wanted nothing more then to push him away, put some distance between them. But she wouldn't let any emotion slip, she would remain apathetic, blank. He would gain nothing from her, he could try whatever he wanted but nothing would work.

A low growl of frustration rose from him and fire flared to life in his hands, leaving black scorch marks on the metal walls. "Tell me who you are, why did you let the Avatar go free? Did someone send you to stop me?" When silence was his only answer he yelled in frustration. "Answer me!"

A hand placed on his shoulder made pause and turn. It was his uncle, a disapproving look in his eyes, disappointment at his nephew's loss of temper clearly written. A sadness was also hidden deep within his gaze though he would never reveal it to Zuko for it would only anger him further. Without another word Zuko left, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving her alone with the retired General Iroh.

Turning her eyes to the older man before her she waited for him to begin interrogating her as well. So she was surprised when he spoke, asking her something she never would have imagined. "Do you like tea?" Her eyes widened in surprise, her façade slipping for just an instant before all emotion was hidden again. "My favorite is Ginseng." Then he turned toward the door, opening it slightly to speak to the guards posted outside. "One of you bring me a pot of Ginseng tea."

Though her face was blank her mind was reeling. His actions had her completely confused, they made no sense to her at all. Though he seemed kind enough she kept her guard up, her suspicions slowly growing. The movement of the door opening made her eyes shift there, returning to Iroh when the pot of tea was given to him along with two cups. With a sigh he sat on the ground, legs crossed, and poured first her and then himself some of the hot tea. With slow movements he offered her the a cup and though she didn't know why she too slowly moved to sit in front of him, taking the cup in her hands. The outside of the cup was warm, sending a shiver of delight down her spine as it warmed her cold hands.

With a sigh she took a slow sip, her eyes never leaving the man before her. "I apologize for my nephew's behavior. He's a complicated young man with a difficult past." She carefully took in what he was saying, thinking on the words. It was kind of him to apologize on behalf of his nephew but if it were to really mean anything it needed to come from the prince himself.

"So how is the tea?" Iroh himself had already finished his tea but sat patiently, seemingly in no hurry at all. Without thinking she nodded slightly, a silent way of signaling that it was good. She herself didn't catch the movement until it was too late. General Iroh's face lit up at her response though he didn't say anything. The two sat there, staring at each other, each one waiting for the other to speak or make some motion. Finally it was Iroh that broke the silence again. "If I may ask, what's your name? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

She was stunned by how polite he was compared to his nephew. While one just wanted to force answers out of her the other was patient with her, letting her move at her own speed. With a sigh she set down her cold, folding her hands gently on her lap. She couldn't just ignore him when he was the only one that showed her kindness. "Kaiya." Her voice was soft though a bit rough from lack of use. Speaking again her words came out more clearly. "My name is Kaiya."

A smile grew on his face at her response. "That's a beautiful name. Do you mind me asking where you come from?" He immediately regretted the words. As soon as they left his lips he saw her change in expression. Her face hardened and became blank again as she began shutting everything out.

"I'm sorry if my words upset you." She blinked once at his apology but remained silent, no longer wishing to speak if he was only going to pry into her past. Seeing that his company was beginning to grow unwelcome he stood to leave, pausing at the door. "I'll see what I can do about getting you some blankets." And then he was gone.

Sighing she stood, feet falling silently on the ground as she made her way to the corner of the room. Leaning against it she slid down until she was sitting with her back to the wall, her knees bent in front of her. Gently she leaned forward a bit, her arms wrapping around them and her forehead resting against them. Closing her eyes she tried to ignore the room she was in, the swaying of the ship on the waves, the angry prince that seemed determined to capture the Avatar, the prince she was supposed to stop. It was all a complicated mess, a mess that she somehow had to get herself out of.

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Okay, so here's chapter two. Sorry it took so long to put it up, I got a little bit stuck at one point and then changed it a little. Some feedback would be great if you have the time. I like knowing what you like about it and what you don't like. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Kay, sorry this one took so long to get up. I really got stuck toward the end, rewrote it a couple times, dumb writter's block. So I apologize for the wait.

**Disclaimer** that I forgot to do on the first two chapters: **I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.**

I do own my character and the plot of this story.

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Roughly, Kaiya was shaken awake. Her eyes flashed open, surprise lighting them for a moment before she calmed. Slowly she lifted her head, ice blue eyes meeting the bright gold ones of the prince. Though she hid it well, confusion welled inside her before the events of the previous day hit her. Mentally she scolded herself for falling asleep in the first place, she hadn't meant to at all and she didn't like how vulnerable it made her. Quickly she rose to her feet, hands clenched into fists at her sides, feeling more comfortable in a position she could defend herself from if need be.

Zuko was a bit surprised that he had managed to sneak up on the girl in the first place. He had expected her to either be awake already or awake to the loud sound of the door opening. He brushed it off though, accounting it to her being exhausted, something he guessed from the dark circles beneath her eyes. "Come with me, my uncle wants to see you." His voice was a little rough, a disgruntled tone to it. It was clear that he disapproved of removing her from the room and for being the one to have to do it. But he didn't trust the guards to handle her without her attempting to escape. He had seen the damage she had caused the previous day and wasn't willing to risk anything like that happening again.

Her eyebrows furrowed above her eyes, this movement being the only sign of emotion lighting her face. She was a bit curious as to why Iroh wanted to see her though she wasn't really looking forward to having another encounter with him, she didn't really want to have to deal with anyone at the moment, much less the older man whose kindness she couldn't ignore. Nonetheless, she took a few steps forward toward the door only to be grabbed by the arm roughly and pulled back to meet Zuko's glare. "Not so fast." Her arms were roughly yanked behind her and cold metal met her thin wrists. She gritted her teeth as the shackles were placed, fighting back the urge to injure the young man behind her. Though he hid it well, his binding her wrists clearly showed that he was nervous about her. She knew she could use this to her advantage, but for now she would bide her time and wait.

After her arms were secured behind her she was pushed forward, one hand kept on her as she was lead down the halls. Roughly she yanked her arm away, throwing her body forward a bit before spinning around and glaring coldly at the prince. "Don't touch me." Her words were quiet but cold as ice and the threat behind them was clear. He knew she meant what she said though he didn't particularly care. She was his prisoner and things happened the way he wanted them to. Ignoring her words he grabbed her arm again, his fingers gripping harder then before, hard enough to bruise her pale skin. An almost inaudible growl of frustration rose in her throat and instead of moving forward like he intended when he pushed her she held her ground, refusing to move any further until his hand was off of her.

Zuko wasn't too surprised by her show of stubbornness, though his eyes still flashed in anger. He really wasn't used to people not obeying him, he was a prince after all and though his life wasn't easy he was still accustomed to his crew following his orders. But this girl before him was a whole new thing for him and he didn't like it one bit. Shoving her harder then before his anger flared, his words coming out louder then he had intended them to. "Hurry up and move." He could feel his temperature rising slowly, his anger toward her stubbornness slowly growing as she still refused to continue on. He fought to control his temper, to remember what his uncle taught him about breathing, but all that went out the window when instead of moving as he pushed her yet again Kaiya pushed back against in him return, hard enough the he was the one that moved back a few steps.

Not thinking he grabbed her other arm roughly, his hands now hot enough to burn her, and pushed her against the wall, his eyes meeting hers, hoping to see some kind of fear in them. But they were blank, revealing nothing, giving him no insight as to what she was thinking. "You will listen to me. You are my prisoner, you follow my orders. You're lucky just to be getting out of that room, you should show more appreciation for it." The tone of his voice was low, dangerous, he knew he should have seen some sort of reaction in her eyes. But there was nothing, save for a split second when he saw the pain she felt from his hands, and even that didn't last long. Then suddenly he found himself on the floor, her small body atop his, pinning him to the cold floor. Somehow she had slipped one hand free and he forearm was now pressed against his neck, exerting a slight pressure that was enough to make him uncomfortable but not enough to cut off his air.

"I told you not to touch me." As if to emphasize her words she pressed down on his throat just a bit harder. The look of surprise in his eyes made her want to break her mask and smirk, it was obvious that he was uncomfortable with the entire situation. Deciding to rub salt in his wounded pride she spoke once again. "Wishing you had your soldiers get me instead?" The flash of anger in his eyes was all the warning she needed to guess his next move. Hooking her own leg around his, she moved against him in the opposite direction as he tried to roll and get out from beneath her. His strength was greater then hers and she was almost flipped over, but using the leg she had wrapped around his she pulled in a swift movement, the leg he was using to push against the floor with, giving him the leverage he needed to flip their positions, flattened against the ground effectively stopping his attempt to throw her off balance. Frustrated, fire flared in his hands for a brief moment before a stern voice stopped him. "Zuko!" Turning his head slightly to look at the figure above them, his gaze met that of his uncle, clear disapproval written on his face. He noticed, somewhere in the back of his mind, when Kaiya shifted minutely to look up at Iroh.

"What is going on? I came down to find out what was taking so long and find you two like this." The retired general shook his head slowly, though their little skirmish should be taken seriously he couldn't help but find it a bit humorous that, with her slight build, Kaiya had managed to not only take Prince Zuko down but keep him there under her control and it seemed had at one point had both hands restrained, though it was a bit worrisome that she had managed to get out of her restraints however unnecessary the general saw them to be.

When it was Kaiya that answered his question both Zuko and himself were surprised. Without making a motion to get up, even pressing harder against his throat again, she spoke in a flat tone as if the whole situation were self-explanatory. "He touched me when I told him not to." When Iroh's eyes flicked over to look at Zuko he quickly tried to explain while remaining calm. "She wouldn't move so I merely gave her a nudge in the right direction." He was ashamed at losing his temper and knew his uncle saw through his words.

"Nudge in the right direction my ass, he tried to make me fall on my face, moronic royal brat." Both men were shocked into momentary silence by her somewhat crude words before Iroh began to speak before he was interrupted loudly by Zuko.

"What did you just call me?" His shout echoed down the hall but Kaiya met his angry gaze without so much as a blink.

"I believe I just called you a moronic royal brat. Did you not hear me the first time around?" Though she didn't show it she was enjoying this all too much, wanting to get under his skin even more. He made it all too easy though, flared up over anything and everything. She shrugged as though it was a completely obvious and known fact before pushing off him slightly to rise to her feet. Standing just to his left she looked down at him almost curiously to see what he would do next. Quickly he pushed to his feet before immediately lunging at her, shoving her roughly against the wall, flame igniting in one hand which he brought to her face, letting the heat of it brush against her skin without it actually touching her. "You will learn your place." His words came out as more of a low growl rather then a fully formed sentence but she understood it never the less. With a small sigh she moved, quickly bringing her knee up to hit him in the sternum, putting a bit of space between them before taking a stance more suited for the fight that would no doubt ensue.

It took him only a moment to recover before he too was ready for this rematch and he was determined to win. Both were about ready to strike when Iroh moved between them, hands loose at his sides yet still ready to stop either of them should they move. "That's enough you two." He gave them both stern looks before turning and taking a few steps down the hall. "Come with me," he looked toward his nephew, "both of you."

Without waiting to see Zuko's reaction she dropped her stance, quietly following after Iroh, her steps nearly silent on the metal floor. She knew it wasn't the safest thing to do, walking in front of the prince, and she knew he wouldn't take too well to yet another show of disrespect from her but she didn't really care. She wasn't about to wait around for him all day to move just so she could make him feel better by walking behind him. Besides, he didn't get her respect until he had earned it and so far he had done nothing to do so. And so with a quick backward glance to see that he was indeed following them with a cold glare fixed on her, she began to further take in her surroundings.

Her eyes fell on nearly identical doors lining the narrow hall. A few halls branched off from the one they were now in, lined with more doors. Her eyes narrowed slightly, boredom for her monotonous surroundings setting in. So far she was not impressed at all by the place she was trapped in for the time being, it was just as boring as the little empty room she was being kept in. As they headed up a few steps to the deck she figured that the soldiers stayed below deck while any higher ups housed in the tower like portion seated toward the back of the ship. Gazing around her, her eyes fell on the open ocean around them. She hadn't realized how far they had traveled already but seeing the lack of any land it occurred to her that they were traveling much faster then she had originally thought. It wasn't until she was once again shoved that she noticed she had almost completely stopped as she watched the blue waters surrounding them. Without thinking it she added another tally to her list of shoves she had received just today. This latest one made seven so far and for some reason, one that was quite obvious, she doubted this would be last one. Ignoring him she took a few steps toward the railing, closer to the water, though her body remained position so she could still keep both men in view at all times. It had been a very long time since she had seen the ocean and as it always did its beauty entranced her.

"Kaiya?" Iroh's words brought her focus to the two men in her company and she quietly returned to the retired general's side, somewhat surprised that his nephew had yet to make a grab for her.

A nearly silent sigh escaped her as the outside world disappeared and she was once again surrounded by cold metal on all sides. Taking a quick right, they traveled down the hall for a ways before stopping in front of a door. It was only a momentary pause as Iroh opened the door, before gesturing for her to enter the room. Suspicion hit her momentarily before she brushed it away, however much she despised his nephew the older man seemed honorable in his intentions so far.

Blue eyes traveled around the room, taking in her surroundings carefully. Red tapestries hung around the room, symbols of the fire nation on each of them, more reminders of where she was. A large table was centered in the room, soft looking cushions around it to sit on. Already a pot of steaming tea lay on it, cups for each of them next to it. In the corner of the room lay a Pai Sho board, the pieces neatly stacked beside it, ready to be pulled to the table any time to be played. What really caught her eye was the large window through which a perfect view of the sea could be seen. The way the water rolled in tiny peaks and valleys made her stare, the sun glinting off it brilliantly, its clear color, the way it sparkled. She could watch it all day if she had the chance, she would love to dip her feet in it, let the cool water wash over her skin.

Roughly Zuko yanked her from her reverie as he pushed her toward the table and down onto her knees, the already bruised skin connecting with the metal floor with a quite audible thump. Then he too kneeled down beside her, his movements stiff, his obvious unhappiness at the situation visible in them. Her eyes shot up, a fierce glare focused on the prince who met it with his own, cold blue shards meeting hard gold orbs. Movement to her left caught her attention, her eyes breaking contact with Zuko's to see what exactly had caused the movement. A steaming cup of tea greeted her and she realized Iroh must have set in front of her as he was now doing with his nephew. With a small nod of thanks she picked up the cup, taking a small sip before setting it back down, her eyes returning to the ocean outside.

A sugar cube thrown at her head made her fists clench, nails digging into her palms as she tried not to punch who ever it was that had thrown it. Instead she popped the little white cube in her mouth, letting the sweet substance slowly melt against her tongue. Turning her eyes to Zuko she waited for him to speak, guessing it was him that had rudely interrupted her thoughts. "Will you pay attention, my uncle was trying to speak to you?" Though his words were filled with irritation his eyes held a bit of confusion, the girl wasn't so lost in her thoughts that she should have missed his uncle's words, in fact she had seemed quite alert despite her wandering mind. Something seemed off about her but he wasn't sure what it was yet.

Turning to face the retired general she spoke softly. "Sorry." Her head then tilted to the side minutely, an invitation for him to speak.

"I was just asking if you were hungry at all, you've been locked in that room for awhile now." Words escaped her briefly at his question, she had been expecting a much more serious conversation, one prying into her motives, her past. But no, he just wanted to know if she was hungry.

"Umm, kind of." Her words came out differently then most she had spoken, taking on a shy and embarrassed quality, she was used to taking care of herself so when others questioned about her needs she always grew uncomfortable with the idea of another person looking out for her.

"Well then I'll leave you two here for a moment and go get you something." Pushing up to her feet she tried to stop him but before she could speak again Iroh was out the door and she was once again alone with the prince.

Deciding to ignore his presence she walked toward the window, blue eyes settling on equally blue waters. She could almost imagine the taste of the salt on the air, the rhythmic and continuous motion of the waves rolling against land, pounding it smooth over centuries. Minutes later the general returned, albeit a bit surprised by how quiet the room was and that both of them seemed to be in one piece.

The warm scent of food made her turn, a small smile appearing on her face as a message of gratitude meant only for Iroh, and upon returning to the table she sent Zuko a glare that would strike fear even into the Firelord. Gratefully she took the bowl of steaming rice and vegetables from Iroh, taking her place just to his left with knees bent under her. Quietly she ate, savoring the flavor of the food, being in no hurry to finish. Everyone remained silent as she ate and it wasn't the most comfortable silence in the world either. Finally she set the empty bowl on the table in front of her, bowing her head slightly to Iroh in thanks again.

After a few more moments of silence someone spoke, it was Iroh again and Kaiya watched him carefully, eyes hardening with every word that left his mouth. "So, do you mind telling us where you're from?" His words were slow, meant to be a polite question but she immediately shut down with it, eyes going completely blank. Hands clenched into fists on her lap, knuckles turning even whiter then they already were, nails dug into her palms, deep half moons that soon bled staining her snowy skin crimson. Abruptly she pushed to her feet in a single smooth movement, drops of blood fell to the floor as she turned slightly to look at Zuko.

"Take me back." Her voice was so dead that he didn't even argue, shooting his Uncle a confused and albeit worried glance, he too rose to his feet to escort her back to the empty room serving as her cell.

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I hope you liked this one. Thanks for reading.


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